45" Sony fixed

[tommy]

I have a 45" sony Big screen with the mirror busted out inside, question are the projectors worth taking out and selling?

Thanks in advance.

This probably needs to be in the video section but wanted a answer quickly.

[tommy]

 

[Stingray]

I know nothing about projection TVs, so this may be a dumb question. Is there a reason why you can't just have a new mirror cut? Is it concave or convex or otherwise an oddball mirror that a glass shop wouldn't be able to reproduce?

-S

[tommy]

My buddy was working at a customers house and he told him that he broke something inside and if he wanted it to take it.

He knows im into arcade machines and electronics so he brought it over, i just figerd it didnt work but when i pluged it in it did work, i just put a partial mirror in there to see if it displayed, so yes it just needs a new mirror and lucky me i work with glass.

I feel pretty dumb right now all it needed was a mirror but hey i got a very good condition 45" sony for nothing. 

[pointdablame]

My buddy was working at a customers house and he told him that he broke something inside and if he wanted it to take it.

He knows im into arcade machines and electronics so he brought it over, i just figerd it didnt work but when i pluged it in it did work, i just put a partial mirror in there to see if it displayed, so yes it just needs a new mirror and lucky me i work with glass.

I feel pretty dumb right now all it needed was a mirror but hey i got a very good condition 45" sony for nothing. 

That's awesome tho... quite a score.  I'm jealous

[tommy]

Poll added

[Stingray]

Yeah, I was thinking you were the guy who worked in the glass biz. If it were me, I'd cut a mirror and start enjoying some 45 inch movie goodness.

-S

[tommy]

Dont let the camera fool you the picture is perfect.

[AmericanDemon]

Outstanding man!  You got a good score!

[crashwg]

You forgot the option that says: "I friggin hate you man!  Why can't this sort of thing happen to me?"

[tommy]

I was checking Ebay for TVs around this size and it seems i lucked into a tv worth 2 grand.

How did i get so lucky ?

[mahuti]

In all seriousness, personally I think if someone gives you junk and you fix it, there's no looking back. Unfortunately, many, many people are not going to see it that way.... they'll think that you knew how to fix it before you began, or they'll think that you "screwed" them, even though they did the damage to themselves.

I was given a really sweet pinball machine that didn't work, got it working pretty well in a few days. I spread the announcements of my progress over a few months... that way the guy that gave it to me wouldn't feel too bad. I think a lot of people will see immediate progress as a license to be indian givers.

[SteveJ34]

I recently acquired a couple of PS2s which were both giving infamous disc read errors......

I told the owner (or parent of the owner) that it was likely an easy fix that I was happy to attempt for free.....they didn't want to mess with them.

One unit simply needed to have its lens cleaned with a little alcohol and slightly adjusted.

The second unit did in fact have a failed laser, out of warranty but a call to Sony, a few questions later, and they issued an SR# for free exchange once they receive the failed unit.

I reported this back to the owner, gave him a working unit and I'll keep the other when it arrives from Sony. I could have kept them both but....

I learned after the fact upon watching his young son prepare to test the recently returned unit that he was spitting on the DVDs as a method of cleaning them before playing. 

[AmericanDemon]

I think a lot of people will see immediate progress as a license to be indian givers.

Had that happen to me.  Guy had a laptop stop working.  He fooled with it himself, but couldnt fix it.  So he gave it to me.  It was a HD failure.  I RMAed the drive to the manufacturer.  Got it up and working.  Took 2 weeks.  He saw it working and he asked for it back.  I took it apart, and said he could assemble it if he wanted it back.  He did it.  But messed up.  Neglected to connect the LCD.  Thought it was still broken and gave it back.  I made him sign it over to me.  Then I fixed it in front of him.  Sweet revenge. 

[tommy]

Well i was planning on giving it back, but 64% of you said put it in the den , so i cant let my fellow BYOACers down.

[loddie]

Dude....you could build the world's largest MAME cab :p

[SirPeale]

Yeah, I wouldn't give it back either.  It was broken when you got it, you fixed it, end of story.

AmericanDemon: I would have told the guy to kiss your behind, unless he was a friend.  *Maybe* tossed a couple bucks his way, but come on.  Indian givers are the worst.

[JCL]

I wouldn't say you should give it ack, but I wouldn't say you shouldn't either.

It all depends. And some questions might help you decide.

How would you feel if this was the other way around?

Is it likely that this person will feel that you should give it back?

Is this person a friend? Is it worth losing this friend?

Will this person find out about this right away? The spread the repair out suggestion may take the sting out of the simple fix.


I don't think you really have a moral responsibility to give it back. But is the TV worth the trouble than it might cause? If the possible trouble is too much, charge him for parts and time and give it back. If the possible trouble is small, keep it.

[tommy]

I wouldn't say you should give it ack, but I wouldn't say you shouldn't either.

It all depends. And some questions might help you decide.

How would you feel if this was the other way around?

Is it likely that this person will feel that you should give it back?

Is this person a friend? Is it worth losing this friend?

Will this person find out about this right away? The spread the repair out suggestion may take the sting out of the simple fix.


I don't think you really have a moral responsibility to give it back. But is the TV worth the trouble than it might cause? If the possible trouble is too much, charge him for parts and time and give it back. If the possible trouble is small, keep it.

If it was the other way around, i would have no idea if somebody ever got it working or not, im sure the guy thinks... i couldnt get it working so its probably not fixable.

Nor i or my buddy who brought it hear dosnt know the original owner , he just said take it, its broken.

What would be the point in telling him that hey, you idiot there was really nothing wrong with  your tv and it cost me about $15.00 to fix it,... id rather not want to know.

[SteveJ34]

Well i was planning on giving it back, but 64% of you said put it in the den , so i cant let my fellow BYOACers down.

Ya, I'd certainly back you up and say put it in the den.

[ChadTower]

The guy gave it to you without condition, so keep it.  You just happen to work with glass and are in a position to fix it easily.

I've had this happen with computers a lot.  People will bring them to me to fix for them (rarely offering anything for the effort), and often times I'll tell them when it costs more in time or parts than the machine is worth.  They always just say keep the thing maybe you can use a part or something.  Eventually, when I do reuse the case or something, and they see it... half the time they suspect I've lied to them about it not being worth fixing. 

For the record, I have never lied to someone about the cost or effort involved in fixing anything they asked me to fix.

[Stingray]

The guy gave it to you without condition, so keep it.

Exactly. If I were the guy who gave it way, I'd feel like a dumbass for not even attempting to fix it (or have it fixed) but I would certainly not ask for it back. He gave it away. His loss, your gain.

-S

[shmokes]

I've had this happen with computers a lot.  People will bring them to me to fix for them (rarely offering anything for the effort),

God, this pisses me off.  This happened to me again just yesterday.  There's this jolly old guy at my wife's work who's having trouble with his computer and has been hinting to me for the last couple months that he wanted me to come over and fix it, obviously hoping I would offer.  I won't offer because I work full-time, go to school full-time, and don't even know or very much like the guy.  So finally yesterday he just asks point blank if I'll come out to his house and fix his computer for him - says he'll have his wife make me dinner.  WTF is it with computers that make people think this is appropriate?  If he found out that I was a window cleaner he wouldn't think, "Oh....Stacy's husband cleans windows for a living.  My windows need cleaned.  I'll ask him to come clean my windows for free."

I don't want to be rude, even though it would merely be turnabout, so I just put him off....told him that maybe I'd have a chance come May since I'd be out of school, but after that I'd be back in.  I'll just screen his calls through May (he's a tax preparer so his last day working at my wife's work was yesterday) and then be too busy again and hopefully he'll eventually realize that if he wants it fixed he's going to have to pay someone to do it.

c'est la vie

[SOAPboy]

I've had this happen with computers a lot.

[Stingray]

WTF is it with computers that make people think this is appropriate?  If he found out that I was a window cleaner he wouldn't think, "Oh....Stacy's husband cleans windows for a living.  My windows need cleaned.  I'll ask him to come clean my windows for free."

If people think you know anything about cars they'll ask you fix their car (usually for free too) as well. I know cars and computers, so I'm constantly being bugged to fix something for nothing.

-S

[nipsmg]

Me too, but I recently started stating "I only do work for Hire unfortunately.  My rate is $x/hr.  If you are interested,  let me know".

[SirPeale]

Me too, but I recently started stating "I only do work for Hire unfortunately.  My rate is $x/hr.  If you are interested,  let me know".

Only way to do it.  The only people I do labor for free are mom and dad.

[tommy]

Last hurricane season here in florida many houses near mine had broken windows, guess whos door bell got a workout, "hey lets go see that guy with the glass truck, maybe he will do us a favor".